Orthodontia appliance.



w. E. WALKER, DEC'D.

l. M. WALKER, ADMINISTRATOR.

ORTHODONTIA PYPLIANCE. APPLlcAloN FILED 050.30. 1912. RENEwED uNE29.1916.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Wullwm Err est Walker,

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En sfrafrEs Pa'rENr oEricE.

WILLIAM E. WALKER, 0E NEW oELEAIvs, LOUISIANA; J. Mona` WALKER, 0E MEWORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ADMINISTRATOR 0F SAID WM. E. WALKER, DECEASED.

oErIIoDon'rIA APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Een. 413, i917.

Original application led October 14, 1911, Serial No.654,769. Dividedand this application filed December 30, 1912, Serial No. 739,383.vRenewed .Tune 29, 1916. Serial No. 106,731.

T0 all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ERNEST WALKER, a citizen of theUnitedStates, and` a resident of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleansand State of Louisiana, (whose post-ofiice address is 629 MaisonBlanche, in said city of New Orleans,) have-invented certain new anduseful Improvements 'in Orthodontia Appliances, of which the followingis a specification.

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 654,769,liled Oct. 14, 1911.

This invention relates'to the mechanical treatment of the teeth,individually, or in groups, as for instance by influencing a tooth orteeth for the purpose of correcting existing, or resisting impendingirregularities in teeth improperly influenced by another tooth or byabnormal forces.

This invention resides primarily in an improvement in the art oforthodontia which, like the co-pending case referred'to, involves thebringing to bear upon the tooth or teeth to be affected, of one or moreforces of a relatively mild, but persistent or continuing character; butthe present case depends more particularly upon the localizing of anatural force such as that derived fro-m occlusion, or Vupon thesimulating of. forces which normally influence the positioning of theteeth during their development, as for instance by applying a force orforces such as those produced by light resilient extensions from acarrying member; said extensions being designed,faccording vto thepresent invention, to localize and direct their pressure toward thechanged position to be induced, and always with respect to some axis ofmovement of the tooth; Such axis of movement is either transverse at oneend of the tooth, or ltransverse or longitudinal at some intermediateposition therein, the natural support of the tooth beingutilized wherethe axis of adjustment is at the root of the tooth, and a support orsustaining bearing being artificially provided where the axis ofmovement is in the crown of the tooth.

across from one side of the jaw to the other; all 'of which featurescoperate in better adapting the device to realize the purposes 'setforth.

. A further novel feature' in this appliance resides in bearing membersattached to the carrying members and multiple anchorages for ,thecarrying members, whereby said attached bearing members are caused toinfluence a tooth-both axially (by occlusion) and laterally; ythislateral influence being Y either medio-distally or bucco-lingually. Themultiple anchors arejupon a plurality of teeth and maintain the anchorteeth in their existing relations, 'while influencing an individualtooth or teeth; such anchorage being provided by a series of separateanchorageV bands united, and one of these bands, in the illustrativeembodiment, being provided with grooves or tubular sockets receiving afork-shaped extension of the carrying member constructed to effectangularly rigid connection between the carrying. member and the unitedanchorage bands, in order, on the one hand, to provide a readilyreleasable connection, and on the other hand, to leaveV the group ofanchorage teeth standing as a whole, without being angularly ortorsionally influenced by resistance encountered by the carrying member.

One embodiment of the several features of this invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawing, in whichz- Figure 1 shows the plan view ofa low'er jaw with the appliance attached;

Fig. 2 illustrates a plan view of the upper jaw of the same mouthwith anappliance embodying the bridge across thejaw.

Figs. 3 and Il show, on a larger scale, two

different embodiments of the gripped anch'oringband, -while Fig. 5 is adetail view of the cooperating forked gripper.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating an occlusion device forinliuencing advancement of one-j aw relatively to the other.

Fig. 7 is av sectional view illustrating the transfer ofocclusalpressurefrom an exist- 'ing point ofocclusion to a point outside-theaxis of a tooth for the purpose of straightening the latter. f

The gripped anchoring band 2, as well as Y those bands united thereto,are permanently attached to some of the adjoining teeth ance. The unionof these bands is conven- -iently effected through the wire 3permanently soldered thereto. The, carrying member 1 is removablyattached to the anchoring bands by means of a fork 4 (Fig. 5) whichembraces the tooth and engages in recesses provided by grooves 5, on oneof the bands, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, or the spurs of which forkenter recesses provided by the tubular sockets 5a shown in Fig. 4.

The carrying member is provided with pressing fingers 6, located toreceive occlusal pressure from the teeth of one jaw at the points 9 and10 and localize such pressure at points 7 on corresponding teeth, to oneside of their axes, in order to correct inclination in the latter.

One of the lingers 6 in Fig. 1 as well as that shown in Fig. 2 isconnected to the carrying member 1, through means of a linguobuccallyextending pressure arm 8 set to exert pressure distally against the sametooth that is to be tipped by occlusal pressure imparted through saidfinger. Said finger 6 presents a free extension of considerable lengthwhich admits of wide adjustment for selectively localizing the occlusalpressure transmitted therethrough. The arms 8 and the fingers 6projecting therefrom exert a combined laterally displacing and axiallytipping influence against the tooth with which they are associated.

In Fig. 2 is further shown a pressure nger 15 acting as an occlusal spurprojecting from the carrying member 1 toward the opposite jaw, inpo-sition to impinge by occlusion,against the distal surface of themolar thereof for the purpose of influencing the entire opposing jawforwardly in relation to the jaw carrying said spur. This spur iseffective largely by suggestion or by creating in the patient theinclination to voluntarily holdy the jaws toward the relative positiondesired to be ultimately attained, with the result that the glenoidfossa forms around the condyle in the correct position.

v'Ihis spur is particularly advantageous, in

that, in many cases it avoids the Vnecessity of wearing appliancesthrough which to establish elastic connections between the jaws, foraccomplishing the purpose stated.

One or more additional detachable anchorages or circumferentialpositioning members 13 are disclosed in both Figs. 1 and 2, upon teethdistant from the occlusal fingers 6 to assist in holding said fingersaccurately in place. These additional positioning members may be of anyapproved type, for instance, the form of anchorage disclosed in myco-pending application, Serial No. 739,382. In Fig. 2, the carrier andthe occlusal finger on the opposite side are directly sustained,laterally, by the `strut or bridge 12, which, with the member 1extending from anchor 4, renders the finger 6 particularly effectivesince it is positioned by two forces acting at right angles.

11, in Fig. 2, isa finger positioned and tensioned to move the toothagainst which it bears, from a position encroaching upon the position ofan unemerged tooth.

I claim 1. In orthodontia appliances, an anchor-l age band adapted forsurrounding a tooth and provided with recesses on opposite sides, afork-shaped gripper adapted to embrace the tooth and enter saidrecesses, a carrying member supported by said gripper, and pressuredelivering fingers on said carrying member.

2. In orthodontia appliances, an anchorage band adapted for surroundinga tooth and provided with recesses on opposite sides, a fork-shapedgripper adapted to embrace the tooth and enter said recesses, a carryingmember supported by said gripper, and pressure delivering fingers onsaid carrying member, comprising a member projecting in position toreceive pressure from occlusion.

3. In orthodontia appliances, an anchorage band adapted for surroundinga tooth and provided with recesses on opposite sides, a fork-shapedgripper adapted to embrace the tooth and enter said recesses, a carryingmember supported by said gripper, and a pressure delivering finger onsaid carrying member, comprising a member projecting in position toreceive pressure from occlusion of one tooth and suspended from saidcarrying member in an approximately perpendicular direction thereto inorder to deliver said pressure to the occlusal surface of another tooth,at a point to one side of its axis.

4. In orthodontia appliances, the combination of a carrying member, ananchorage for said carrying member on one tooth, having detachableconnection with said member, a circumferential positioning memberconnected with said carrying member and fitting on another tooth in thesame jaw, a pressure developing finger projecting from said carryingmember into position to encounter a tooth in the opposite jaw byocclusion and deliver pressure to a tooth in the rst named jaw. j

5. In orthodontia appliances, the combination of a carrying member, ananchorage for said carrying member on one tooth having detachableconnection with said member, a circumferential positioning memberconnected with said carrying member and fitting on another tooth in thesame jaw, a pressure developingfinger constructed to deliver pressure ona tooth in the samej aw and projecting from said carrying member Vintoposition to encounter a tooth in the opposite jaw by occlusion; saidcarrying member having two arms located on opposite sides of the dentalarch; the pressure developing finger and the circumferential positioningmember being connected to the respective arms of the carrying member.

6. In orthodontia appliances, a lever adapted to extend into the path ofa tooth, and means for detachably anchoring said lever to a distanttooth, said lever constructed to deliver pressure, during occlusion, toa tooth in the jaw carrying the anchoring means.

7 In orthodontia appliances, a suitable anchorage, a carrying member,and an occlusal pressure linger detachably supported on said carryingmember constructed to deliver pressure during occlusion to a tooth inthe jaw carrying the anchoring means.

8. In orthodontia appliances, a suitable anchorage on a tooth in onejaw, a carrying member detachably mounted on the anchorage, and anocclusal pressure finger supported on said carrying member; said0cclusal pressure inger having a portion receiving pressure fromocclusion of a tooth in the opposite jaw, and a remote portion impartingthe pressure so received to a tooth of the first named jaw.

9. In orthodontia appliances, a suitable anchorage on a tooth in onejaw, a carrying member on the anchorage, and an occlusal pressure lingersupported on said carrying member; said occlusal pressure finger havinga free end and being adjustable to determine the point of delivery ofocclusal pressure transmitted through it to a tooth in the same javv.

l0. In orthodontia apliances, a suitable anchorage on a tooth in onejaW, a carrying member on the anchorage, and an occlusal pressure fingersupported on said carrying member; said occlusal pressure lfinger havinga portion receiving pressure from occlusion of aV tooth in the oppositejaw, and a remote portion imparting the pressure so received to a toothof the first named jaw; said occlusal pressure Enger being flexible,

`thereby rendering the positions of its pressure receiving andtransmitting points, selective at Will.

The foregoing. speciiication signed at Washington, District of Columbia,this 14 day of September, 1912.

WILLIAM E. WALKER. In presence of tvvo Witnesses: HERVEY S. KNIGHT,EDWIN S'. CLARKsoN.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington1 D. C.

